Switch.



` 110.833,524. PATBNTBD 0012.16, 1906.

- M. HOLPPBR.

SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. s. v190e.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l l 1f' r I TN: Nonms PETERS co., wAsHmGroN. D. c. A

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

PATBNTED 00T. 16, 1906.

M. HOLPPBR. A

v SWITCH.

APP'LIOATIOH FILED AUG. s, 190e.

.I so

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

Application led August 8, 1906. Serial No. 329.777.

To all whom it may aaneen/M Be it known that I, MARKUS HOLPFER, a subject of the Emperorof Austria-Hungary, residing at Coraopolis, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to t e accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in railway-switches; and the invention has for its object to provide novel means whereby a motorman or operator of a car or train can throw a switch without departing from the car or train or ,causing a cessation in the operation thereof.

My improved switch and switch-throwing mechanism which I employ are particularly designed for street-railways, the cars of said railway being equipped with ythe Switchthrowing device, while the switches are con structed to be easily and quickly thrown by thedevice. It is obvious, however, that my improved switch and switch-throwing device is applicable to steam-railways by simply equipping a locomotive with my improved device.

The detail construction entering into my invention will be presently described, illustrated, and then specifically pointed out in the a pended claims. i

Re erring to the drawings forming part of this specification, like numerals of re designate corresponding parts throughout` the several views, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of my improved switch. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of a car equipped with the switch-throwing device, illustrating the same'with relation to a switch. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a shifting bar used in connection with the switch, illustrating an automatic locking device, Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a' car, illustrating a portion of the switchthrowing device. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the switch, and Fig. 6 isan y elevation of a modified form of bracket used in connection with the switch-throwing device.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a switch comprising main rails 1 and 2, siding-rails 3 and 4, the rail 3 having `a movable switch-tongue 5, adapted to move with relation to the rail 1 and govern the passage of cars upon the main rails and the silding-rails. The rails are supported upon suitable ties or sleepers 6, the tie or sleeper lying under the end of the switch-tongue 5 being provided with plates 7 at each end thereof, upon which a shifting bar 8 is slidably mounted, the bar being connected to the switch-tongue 5, as at 9. This, bar is adapted to slide beneath the rails 1 and 2, and in order that it may be moved I bend the ends of said bar upwardly, as at 10. To retain the bar 8 in its shifted position, I employ a, locking device comprising a spring 11, which is mounted upon the tie or sleeper 6' between the confronting ends of the plates 7 7. The spring 11 is provided with two countersunk ortions 12, adapted to engage a depending ug 14, carried by the bar 8. The spring 11 is of a resilient nature and is adapted to re cede each time the shifting bar 8 is moved and assume its normal position to lock said bar in its shifted position.

Upon the ends of the plates 7 7 I pivotally mount two horizontal bell-crank levers 15, the confronting ends of said levers being provided With roller-bearings 16 to bear a ainst upwardly-bent ends 10 of the shifting ar 8.,

YThe opposite ends of the bell-crank levers l5 yare connected by rods 17 to bars 18, pivotally mounted upon the ties or sleepers 6 some distance from the switch-tongue 5. Adjacent to the rails l, 2, and 4 I mount bearings 19, and in said bearings are pivotally mounted arms 20. y Engaging said arms are the slotted ends 21 of the bars 18. The arms 20 are adapted to extend upwardly aboveV the rails constituting the main track and siding and are adapted to be struck by a switchthrowing device carried by the car or train which travels upon the rails.

The switch -throwing devicel comprises 95 4hangers 22 which are carried by the platform 23 of a car. In the hangers 22 is slidably mounted a shaft 24, having rollers25 journaled upon its ends. The shaft 24 is provided with an outwardly-extending pin 10o 26, over which engages the slotted end 27 of an operating-lever 28, said lever being pivotally connected to the platform 23 of the car. Upon the platform .23 is mounted a sectorrack 29, with Which the spring-held lockinglof;

pawl 30 of the operating-lever 28 engages and retains the locking-lever in its adjusted posi tion.

In operation the motorman or operator of the car is adapted to manipulate the'lever28 I ro when it is desired to throw the switch-tohgie 5. The direction in which the Yoperating'- switch-tongue to its normal position.

lever 28 is moved depends entirely upon the direction in which the car is traveling and whether it is desired to continue upon the main track or enter upon the sidingtrack. Referring to Fig. 1 and assumingv that a car is traveling in the direction of the arrow A and it is desired to pass upon the siding-rails 3 and 4, the operating-lever 28 is moved to the left, which throws the shaft 24 to the right, and as the car travels along the main rails 1 and 2 the roller 25 upon the right-hand end of the shaft 24 will strike the arm 20 adjacent to the main rail 2, causing this arm to move forward, and, through. the medium of the bar 18, rod 17, and bellcrank lever 15, shift the bar 8 toward the main rail 1, causing the switch-tongue 5 to close. By moving the arm 20 adjacent to the mainrail 2 the switch mechanism upon the left side of the rail 1 is moved, Vbut the arm 20 adjacent to the main rail 4 remains in its normal position. Assuming -that the train is moving in the direction of the arrow B, the arm 20 adjacent to the rail 1 and upon the forward side of the switch is struck to open the switch-tongue 5 and prevent the car from being derailed. After a car has passed over ,the switch the switch-tongue 5 can be returned to its normal position by the operator or motorman of the car manipulating the switch-throwing device to strike the arm 20 adjacent to the rail 1 and return the As the arms 20 will be subjected to considerable wear by contacting with the rollers 25, I can use hangers 22', (see Fig. 6,) these hangers being constructed to adjustably hold the shaft 24 to permit of said shaft adjusting itself to the arms 20.

' It is thought that the manner of throwing my im roved switch will be apparent to those. silled in the art without further description, as the construction is extremely simple and requires no skill on the part of the motorman orv operator to throw the switchtongue.

All of the mechanism subjected to stresses and strains or wearing by constant use is made of strong and durable material, and I desire it to be understood that such changes in the details of construction as are permissible by the appended claims may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a switch, the combination with main rails, siding-rails, and a switch-tongue, of a shifting bar slidably mounted beneath said rails and-having upwardly-bent ends, and i connecting with sai switch-tongue, a spring mounted beneath said shiftingbarand adapt-- ed to yieldingly hold said bar in aiixed position, bell-crank levers mounted at the outer ends of saidbar, and having roller-bearings to engage the upwardly-bent ends of said bar, arms pivotally mounted adjacent to said rails and adapted to actuate said bell-crank levers to', move said bar, and means to move said arms, substantially as described.

2. In a switch, the combination with rails, a switch-tongue, and a car adapted to travel upon said rails, of a shifting bar slidably mounted beneath said rails and connecting with said switch-tongue, bell-crank levers mounted at the ends of said shifting bar and adapted to engage saidbar, arms pivotally mounted adjacent to said rails and adapted to actuate said bell-crank levers, a sliding shaft carried by said car, rollers journaled upon the-ends of said shaft and adapted to contact with said arms, an o erating-lever carried by said car and adapte to move said shaft, means mounted beneath said shifting bar to yieldingly lock said bar in a fixed position, and means to lock said operating-lever in a fixed position, substantially as described.

3. In a switch, the combination with rails, a switch-tongue, and a car adapted to travel upon said rails, of a shifting bar slidably mounted beneath said rails and connecting with said switch-tongue, bell-crank levers mounted at the ends of said bar and adapted to engage said bar, arms pivotally mounted adjacent to said rails and adapted to actuate said bell-crank levers, means mounted beneath said shifting bar to yieldingly hold said bar in a fixed position, and means carried by said car to engage said arms and shift. said switch-tongue, substantially as described.

4. In a switch, the combination with rails, a switch-tongue, and a car adapted to travel upon said rails, of 'a shifting bar slidably mounted beneath said rails and connecting with said tongue, a shaft slidably mounted beneath said car, rollers j ournaled upon said shaft, an operating-levercarried by said car and adapted to move said shaft, means mounted adjacent to said rails and adapted to contact with said rollers to' shift said switch-tongue, and; means mounted beneath said shifting bar to yieldingly hold said tongue in a fixed position, substantially as described.

5. In a switch, the combination with rails, a switch-tongue, and a car, of a shifting bar slidably mounted beneath said rails and connecting with said tongue, arms pivotally mounted adjacent to said rails, means actuated by said arms to move said bar, means mounted beneath said bar to yieldingly hold said bar in a fixed position, and means carried by said car to move said arms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

MARKUS HOLPFER. Witnesses:

MAX H. SRoLovrTz, A. J. TRIGG. f

IIO 

